As a branch of philosophy, metaphysics seeks to answer questions about the nature of things on a more fundamental level, such as the nature of ideas, the nature of qualities, and the nature of potentials. What we tell ourselves about where we came from and why is, in a nutshell, what metaphysics is all about. To help us make sense of the universe and our place in it, metaphysics has played a crucial role throughout human history. We humans have always had a deep desire to make sense of the world, and this quest for knowledge has always been at the heart of metaphysics.